Google was announced On Wednesday, a new wave of AI-powered features is coming to Google TV, along with a special short-form video stream that brings YouTube Shorts right to the home screen.
At the center of this update are more Gemini features. On the Gemini tab, a Build button allows users to experiment with the Nano Banana and Veo AI creation tools. These are rolling out first to Gemini-enabled TCL TVs in the US, with wider device support expected later.
Nano Banana, Google’s image creation and editing model, allows users to transform photos using simple voice prompts. Users can swap outfits, change backgrounds, or create entirely new scenes. Google is positioning the feature as a shared experience in the living room, encouraging playful prompts like asking the AI to make my dad wear a funny outfit for family and friends to laugh at.
Veo, on the other hand, allows users to create clips from scratch or make animations describing a scenario. For example, “make my grandpa walk in space.”
Google Photos is also being upgraded to Google TV. With Gemini-powered search, users can quickly pull up specific memories, like vacations or birthday parties, without digging through their entire library. The results are displayed in a browser format, making it easy to view images in full screen or start a slideshow. There’s also a new “Remix” feature that lets users apply artistic styles like watercolor or oil painting to their photos.
Meanwhile, “Dynamic Slideshows” introduces animated layouts, frames, and color edits. Users can turn any Google Photos collection into a live TV-ready slideshow by selecting Google Photos in the screensaver settings.
Beyond AI tools, Google is also banking on the growing popularity of short-form video. Soon, a new series of “Short videos for you” will appear on the Google TV home screen, starting with content from YouTube Shorts.
The move comes after YouTube recently introducing an option to hide Shorts on mobile, suggesting mixed user demand. However, Google hints that this could expand beyond Shorts in the future, possibly to other platforms. Instagram already expanded its TV app to Google TV devices in the US earlier this year.
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